![Paulius Galaune](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b0/Paulius_Galaune.jpg)
Paulius Galaunė (January 25, 1890 in Pagelažiai near
Ukmergė
Ukmergė (; previously ''Vilkmergė''; pl, Wiłkomierz) is a city in Vilnius County, Lithuania, located northwest of Vilnius, with a population of about 20,000.
Etymology and variant names
The city took its original name ''Vilkmergė'' from t ...
– October 18, 1988 in
Kaunas) was a
Lithuanian art historian, museum curator, and graphic artist. He was one of the first professional museum curators in Lithuania and was well-published on topics of Lithuanian folk art. The apartment of Galaunė and his wife
Adelė Nezabitauskaitė, an opera singer, was converted into the Galaunė Family Museum in 1995, and contains his personal belongings as well as his works.
[ It is part of the M. K. Čiurlionis National Art Museum. He was buried in ]Petrašiūnai Cemetery
Petrašiūnai Cemetery ( lt, Petrašiūnų kapinės) is Lithuania's premiere last resting place formally designated for graves of people influential in national history, politics, arts, and science.
Location
Petrašiūnai Cemetery is located abo ...
.
Career
Between 1910 and 1913, Galaunė studied at the Institute of Psychoneurology in University of St. Petersburg.[ He studied art in ]St. Petersburg
Saint Petersburg ( rus, links=no, Санкт-Петербург, a=Ru-Sankt Peterburg Leningrad Petrograd Piter.ogg, r=Sankt-Peterburg, p=ˈsankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk), formerly known as Petrograd (1914–1924) and later Leningrad (1924–1991), i ...
(Drawing School of the Imperial Society for the Encouragement of the Arts
The Imperial Society for the Encouragement of the Arts (Russian: Императорское общество поощрения художеств (ОПХ)) was an organization devoted to promoting the arts that existed in Saint Petersburg from 182 ...
) and Moscow
Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 millio ...
. In 1914 he worked at '' Aušrinė'' magazine. Upon return to Lithuania in 1918, he worked the National Museum of Lithuania
The National Museum of Lithuania ( lt, Lietuvos nacionalinis muziejus), established in 1952, is a state-sponsored historical museum that encompasses several significant structures and a wide collection of written materials and artifacts. It also or ...
until 1923, when he took an internship at the Louvre
The Louvre ( ), or the Louvre Museum ( ), is the world's most-visited museum, and an historic landmark in Paris, France. It is the home of some of the best-known works of art, including the ''Mona Lisa'' and the ''Venus de Milo''. A central l ...
to study museology.[ In 1924 he was appointed as director of the M. K. Čiurlionis Gallery. He remained at the post until 1949, overseeing its transformation into the Vytautas the Great Museum in 1936 and M. K. Čiurlionis Art Museum in 1944.][ As the museum director, he brought back dispersed works of M. K. Čiurlionis to house them in a specialized museum.][ Galaunė was also a member of the State Commission of Archaeology from 1919–1925 and 1930–1936. He organized folk art exhibitions in Italy (1925), France (1927), Sweden, Norway, Denmark (1931). He taught at the ]University of Lithuania
Vytautas Magnus University (VMU) ( lt, Vytauto Didžiojo universitetas (VDU)) is a public university in Kaunas, Lithuania. The university was founded in 1922 during the interwar period as an alternate national university.
Initially it was k ...
(1925–1939), Vilnius University
Vilnius University ( lt, Vilniaus universitetas) is a public research university, oldest in the Baltic states and in Northern Europe outside the United Kingdom (or 6th overall following foundations of Oxford, Cambridge, St. Andrews, Glasgow and ...
(1940–1946), and Vilnius Academy of Art (1945–1950).[
]
Works
As an artist, Galaunė created graphics, book covers and illustrations, headpieces, bookplates. His works often featured fantastic content and had secessionist
Secession is the withdrawal of a group from a larger entity, especially a political entity, but also from any organization, union or military alliance. Some of the most famous and significant secessions have been: the former Soviet republics l ...
features.[ He also collected, studies, systemized folk and professional art. One of his most important academic works, ''Lietuvių liaudies menas'' (Lithuanian Folk Art), was published in 1930. The book, co-authored with Justinas Vienožinskis, was translated into French and Swedish.][ Another major publication was a six-volume album ''Lietuvių liaudies menas'' (1956–1968). Galaunė also prepared and published albums of works of medieval paintings (1926), Lithuanian wood carvers (1927), M. K. Čiurlionis (1927), Mečislovas Bulaka (1936), Adomas Galdikas (1969).][
]
Awards
Galaunė received the following awards:[
* Lithuanian Order of Vytautas the Great (1931)
* Latvian ]Order of the Three Stars
Order of the Three Stars ( lv, Triju Zvaigžņu ordenis) is the highest civilian order awarded for meritorious service to Latvia
Latvia ( or ; lv, Latvija ; ltg, Latveja; liv, Leţmō), officially the Republic of Latvia ( lv, Latvija ...
(1938)
* Swedish Order of Vasa
The Royal Order of Vasa () is a Swedish order of chivalry, awarded to citizens of Sweden for service to state and society especially in the fields of agriculture, mining and commerce. It was instituted on 29 May 1772 by King Gustav III. It was u ...
(1938)
* French Legion of Honour
The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleon ...
(1939)
* Belgian Order of Leopold II
The Order of Leopold II is an order of Belgium and is named in honor of King Leopold II. The decoration was established on 24 August 1900 by Leopold II as Sovereign of the Congo Free State and was in 1908, upon Congo being handed over to Belgium ...
* National Prize of the Lithuanian SSR (1970)
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Galaune, Paulius
1890 births
1988 deaths
Lithuanian art critics
Lithuanian artists
Academic staff of Vilnius University
Recipients of the Order of Vytautas the Great
Recipients of the Order of Vasa
Recipients of the Legion of Honour
Recipients of the Order of Leopold II
Directors of museums in Lithuania
Academic staff of the Vilnius Academy of Arts
Saint Petersburg State University alumni
Academic staff of Vytautas Magnus University
Burials at Petrašiūnai Cemetery